The power transfer from the neuromuscular machinery to its load as a vegetative and somatic behaviour.
Models have been proposed in literature describing the contraction of visceral and somatic muscles as an interaction between the time-varying elastances of them and the loads they are working against. The aim of this paper is: 1) to make clear similarities between the models of visceral and somatic muscular contraction; 2) to stress the concept that the power transfer from a time-varying elastance to its load is a behaviour, i.e. an interaction between the entire neuromuscular machinery and the surrounding environment; 3) to propose a theory describing the various physiological and pathological behaviours of both visceral and somatic muscles as different ways of coupling between the time-varying muscular elastances and their loads. In this theory it is assumed that the entire neuromuscular machinery acts as a whole to set the most appropriate power transfer to achieve behavioural goals.
Federici
A
A
Institute of Human Physiology, University of Bari, Italy.
Nocera
L
L
D004548:Elasticity; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000502:physiology*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000294:innervation; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000294:innervation; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*